Actuating mechanism



June 18, 1935. F. E. BERTRAND ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed sept. v. 1954 Patented June 18, `1935 lUNITI-:o si'A'rlisA PATENT IoFFICE -Unted 'Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. I., a corporation'of New Jersey Application september 7, 1934, `serial N o. 743,036y 12 Claims. `(o1. 'M -518)v This invention relates to mechanism of the by ya valve. This valve, in turn, is controlled by character of that through which actuating forces some such means as a cam Vmovable under the inare applied byan operator, as by a treadle, to iluence of ytheshiitable member upon which the produce successive steps Ain the .operation of a treadle-lever turns ,initially` Closure of the valve .rf machine; locks/the previouslymovablev pistongso it offers a 5, v An example of a machine to which my invention rigid supporty for vthelever-fulcrum which it may be applied is furnished by thesole-rounding carries y l apparatus of- Letters Patent of the United States In theaccompanying drawing aparticular em- No. 882,009, Mayo, March 17, 1908;4 Here, opbodimentof my improved actuating mechanism is v posite clamping members are rst caused to apshown in side elevation,v with portions in sec- 10 preach-each other for contact with the material tion. y f i l y to be operated uponand then to apply consider- A base i0, which-may be a portion of the frame able pressure to retain said material against disof the machine parts which are to be actuated, placement While the roundingcutis being made. has pivoted uponit by the pin l2 a. bell-crank- To obtain for this purpose movementY through a lever `llLone arm l-6 of which extends in a gen- 1,5' relatively'large distance with a-transmission of a erally ,horizontal direction kand has threaded small force and to reverse this effect by increasing through it a stop-.screw I8V contacting with the theforce while decreasing the distance traveled, base to limit-,the clockwise rotation of the lever, there hasbeen employed mechanism in which is asseen in the drawing- An upwardly extending included a lever for movement by the operator of arm 20 ofthe bell-crank carries a `roll 22 upon 2 0 the machine for actuating the clamping means which rests `a generally horizontalsurface 24 thereof, this lever having a varying iulcrumatthe underv side of aftreadle-lever-26l Atorsionpoint.r First, the vlever isfulcrumed comparaspringr 2'85 S111` 10Ul1di11g the/pill l2 60115 GOvhOld tively close to the point of reception oi powerto the yroll izgnormallyagainst the depressing effect givel the desired extent oi travel toy the trans'- ofthe treadle-lever 'with the screw l-8determin- 25 mitting point with little eiTort on the `part, of the ing, the angle at WhichtheA arm 20 of the belloperator, this being followed by movement about crank lies and, consequently, the downward force a fulcrum closer to the transmitting point, so the necessary--` tondisplacev it. vThis shiftable support power-ratio is increased. The present invention, for -thetreadle-leveris adjacent to the extremity 30 utilizing the same principle, has as an object the to which the operator is to apply power. 'This 30 provisionof highly ecient yetsimplepmechamay berthrough afoot-pad 30 depending from nism vbywhich with a few strong elements the saidilever;y `To permitl some travel `ofwthe operchange of fulcra may be eiected with little wear, ators foot after the actuating movement has been with complete absence of noise and with positive completed, thepad 3D is pivotally connected to the 3-5 maintenance in its active position of the fulcrumlever'26fatf32 and is arrangedto yield against 35 point employed during the transmission of the .theexpansive force of aspring 34. maximum force. In the attainment of this `ob- ,:LA-,the OPDOSG extremity 0fl the-treadle from ject, I utilize ari hydraulic device, combining with the `foot-padisjoined a rod 36 vby which power is an actuating lever, shown herein as a treadle, a @to be transmitted. Inproximity to this connecl 40- plurality ofj-fulcra, one of which is supported by a tion is, a: fulcrum-pin `38Vfor the treadle. It exi0 'displaceable iiuid, together with means for contends .horizontally between spaced lugs 40, 40upon trolling` this fluicl'. Preferably, thisv control is a caplt2` carried by a piston 44 movable vertically made veffective in the movement of one ofY the in a cylinder 46 which may be formed in the base fulcra.- As `herein illustrated,V the treadle-lever ,HLl Thecap and'piston-body may, if desired, be

has at one extremity al foot-padifor depressionbyf formed intelfall"V At' the 10We1 end `0f the DS- 45 the operator and'at the other extremity powerton is a passage 48 surrounded by a seat which transmitting connections, there being near the mayreceive contact of avalve 50 to close the pasiorm'er portion a shiftable member furnishing one sage. "I'hevertical stem 52 of the valve is'guided fulcrum and near the latter'portion a second fulin a sleeve y54 depending from an upper piston- 50, crum .supported 'by the hydraulicA device. Conhead 56. This head is recessed, andin this recess 50 nectionsirom the shiftable member control theA is a spring 58 interposed between the head-wall hydraulic device to render it active or inactive. vand ay collar 60 fast upon the stem` to exert a The devicewhich I prefer ,to employ comprises a lconstant `seating force upon-the vlave. To hold fluid-containing cylinder and a piston operatsaid valve normally open, there is aranged to ing. therein and provided with apassage governed turn about, thepin `38 a cam 62 toward, rwhich 5,5,

Normally, the treadle-lever 26, initially fulcrumed upon the roll 22 in its elevated position, is held with the foot-pad 30 raised by an unillustrated spring associated with the4 machine tov which the actuating mechanism is applied. The? cam 62 holds the valve 58 openysofreeow through the passage 48 ofsuch aliquid as., oil, which the cylinder 46 contains,.allows the piston 44 and the pivot-pin 38 of the treadle which it supports to rise unrestrained- When the operator, Aby pressure of hisnfoot uponthe pad 30, depresses the treadle, it turns -the'lever 26 upon the roll `22 to elevate the rod 36, to the pivot-pinl 38 `and its support carried by the piston being lifted without material resistance. Since the is long, as compared with that from said rollto the foot-pad, a'v comparatively sliortAfoot-movement rapidly vlifts the rod through y'a much greater distance, and this may be assumed Vto move a clampingmember into engagement with a workpiece. "It is at thi'speriod'in the operating cycle that the elements are shown' in' the drawing. There is such a resistance offered to thefurther travel of the rod 36 that the lever I 4 yields against the force of its spring `28, the roll 22 p assing'outwardly and downward1y-along the surface 24 `of the descending treadle-lever 26.` 'I'hrough the rod 66 and its connectedarms the cam 62 is rotated anti-clockwise, removing it from above the valve- 'stem' 52. The spring 58 is thus allowed to Alift the valve 50, which closes the passage 48 inthe piston. 'I'here is now locked in the cylinder beneath vthe piston `a body vof a substantially noncompressible liquid, the piston-cap 42 thus becoming an'immovable support for lthe pivot-pin 38. About this fulcrum the movement of the treadle continues, the'downwardyleld of the roll 2,2 'taking place withoutieft'ect. Now, theftransmitting arm of the treadle is short' as compared to that to which power-is appliedthroughthe pad 30,a'nd this increase of leverage Ycreates through the rod 36 a greater pressure upon the work. Upon release of the pad by` theoperator, the treadle mechanism is restored to its initial relation, the bell-crank-lever`l4 turning clockwise until the stop-screw I8 engages the base,fth e cam 52 yopening'the valve 50 so'thepiston is again freeV to move in the cylinder, displacing thefoil through the passage 48. 'I'hepressure upon the machineelements is relieved and they are returned 'to' normal, the treadle mechanism being ready for another operation. l

Havingdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent vof the United States is: f 1. An actuating mechanism comprising a lever,

a plurality of 'fulcra therefor, a support for' one able iiuld, and. means made'eilectiveby movement of one of the fulcra. for controlling the displacement of the uid.

3. Treadle mechanism comprising a lever having a foot-pad and power-transmitting connections near its opposite extremities, an hydraulic device upon which the lever is fulcrumed adjacent to its power-transmitting end, and controlvmember for controlling the hydraulic device;

5. Treadle mechanism comprising a lever having afoot-pad and power-transmitting connections near its opposite extremities, an ,hydraulic deviceupon' wh ich.the lever is fulcrumed adiacentj to its power-transmitting end, a shiftable member `furnishing a, ful cru1n adjacent tothe foot-pad end, connections to the shiftable mem-` berfor controlling Vthe hydraulic device, .and means arrangedto vary `thednormalposition of the'shiftablemember.

f6. Actua'ting` mechanism v comprising a cylinder anda piston operating therein, one of theseV elements being fixed against movement and the other being movable, there being a passage between the v opposite sides of the piston, means for controlling flow through the passage, a leverv fulcrumed upon the movable element, a lfulcrum member for the lever movable by said lever, Yand connections to'said fulcrum member for operating the now-controlling means. '7. Actuating mechanism comprisingacylinder and a piston operatingtherein, oneof these elements beingfixedlagainst, movement 4and the other being movable, there being a passage between the oppositesides ofthe piston, a valve controllingtheflow through the passage, a. lever fulcrumed upon the movable element, a member turning about such fulcrum of 'the .lever-to control` the valve, a fulcrum member for the lever movable by said lever; and connections'to said fulcrum lmember for turning the. controlling member. Y v 8. Actuating mechanism comprisingafcylinder and a piston operating therein, one of these elements being-z fixed;y against movement and the otherbeing movable, there being a passageA between the opposite sidesy of the piston, avalve controlling flow through the passage, means? for closing the valve, a lever fulcrumedv Vupon the movable element, and means movable by the lever for opening thefvalve; f Y

. 9. The combination-with a--base, of a cylinder carried thereby, a piston movable in the-cylinder and having a passage between its yopposite sides, a valve movableuponthepiston tocontro1the passage, a treadle fulcrumed upon the piston, a lever pivoted upon the base 'and furnishing a fulcrum for the treadle, and connections to the lever for operating the valve. J i

10. The combination with af base, of a cylinder carried thereby, a piston movable in the cylinder and having a passage between its opposite sides, a valve'movable upon the piston to controlA the passage, a treadle fulcrumed upon the piston, a lever pivoted upon the base andfurnishing a fulcrum for the treadle, a spring acting upon the lever, an vadjustable stop limiting the'movement of the lever by the spring, and `connections to the lever for operating the valve.

11. The combination with a base, of a cylinder carried thereby, a piston movable inthe cylinder carried thereby, a piston movable in the cylinder and having a passage between its opposite sides, a Valve movable upon the piston to control the passage, a spring for closing the valve, a cam movable upon the piston for opening the valve, a treadle fulcrumed upon the piston, a lever pivoted` upon the base and furnishing a fulcrum for the treadle, a link joining the lever to the cam,

and means arranged to vary the effective length of the link.

FREDERIC E. BERTRAND. 

